Exercise smart: Out in the dark? Glow on

Running and cycling stores sell a blinking and blinding array of accessories for those who hit the road when it's dark outside. Without any of this gear, both sports can be dangerous, advocates say.

Collin Binkley, The Columbus Dispatch

Running and cycling stores sell a blinking and blinding array of accessories for those who hit the road when it’s dark outside.

Without any of this gear, both sports can be dangerous, advocates say.

But what’s best among the light-laden wristbands, headlamps and handlebar headlights? A combination, safety-minded enthusiasts say, and the more the better.

“It’s got to be on all parts of your body,” said Kevin O’Grady, a co-owner of the FrontRunner store on the North Side.

Runners should wear at least one battery-powered light, he said. Many feature LED lights attached to armbands or wristbands or that can clip to waistbands.

Whether the light should blink or emit a steady beam is up for debate. Some studies have found that people easily see flashing lights; others suggest that drivers are more likely to swerve toward them.

Besides the light, O’Grady said, every article of clothing should be adorned with reflective material. Much athletic clothing comes with metallic piping to bounce light into a driver’s eyes, but O’Grady said that doesn’t work as well from afar as larger neon-yellow vests, hats, belts and armbands.

Of course, it’s not always easy to persuade people to dress like construction workers to run or bike.

“You want to be a little bit of a nerd and err on the side of caution, even if that means wearing a reflective vest,” said Bryan Saums of Consider Biking, a local cycling advocacy group.

Ohio law requires cyclists to use a white headlight and red taillights in the dark. But in areas with streetlights, those lights are easily washed out, Saums said. He recommends two handlebar headlights and at least two rear lights.

Saums said that lights on helmets — blinking or steady — are good because the eye is attracted to movement. “If your head bobs around, people see that,” he said.Another advantage of helmet lights is that car drivers keep their eyes fixed about 5 feet off the ground, where they would normally spot other cars.

Many cycling organizations also recommend lights that flank riders, such as LEDs that attach to wheel spokes. Some riders wrap their bike frames with reflective tape or stickers.

When Eric Fruth runs at night to avoid brutally hot days, he dons a headlamp that shines a white light forward and blinks a red light behind him.

“It goes on like a headband, and it feels like wearing a hat. The headlamp not only makes you visible to drivers, but it also lights the path ahead of you,” said Fruth, a leader of Cbus Pacers, a local running group.

Experts say that visibility is important because a disproportionate rate of cycling deaths occur at night. Seven percent of bike rides occurs in the dark, but they account for about 35 percent of cycling deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

In the 25 years that FrontRunner has been open, O’Grady knows of six customers who have been killed in collisions with cars while they were running or cycling.

But if done properly, Saums said, exercising in the dark can be thrilling.

“Night riding is the best,” he said. “Your city looks so much different. You will embrace your community even more when you see it at night from a bicycle.”